My Mind to Your Mind
by sashicat
Summary: This is a story about Archer and T'Pol.
1. Chapter 1

T'Pol was in a hallway of Enterprise. Weapons fire could be heard a short distance away. Suddenly, Lieutenant Reed ran into view. He stopped behind a structural support, fired two shots back around a corner, and continued down the hallway. Archer raced in from an adjoining passageway.

"Captain!" Malcolm called out as two Reptilian Xindi appeared at the end of the hallway.

Still running, Archer ducked as a red beam of light shot past, just narrowly missing his head. T'Pol gasped as the beams headed straight for her stomach. Shock registered on her face as the beams passed harmless through her. She turned in time to see them strike Malcolm full in the chest.

"No!" Archer shouted. As he dove to the deck he twisted to fire at the Xindi. T'Pol threw herself against the wall to avoid his tumbling body. Both of the Reptilians crumpled to the ground. But Archer did not give them, or her, a second look. Instead, he crawled the couple of feet to Malcolm's limp body. Archer searched desperately for a pulse, but there was none. Horror and pain cut across Archer's face, but he had time to bow his head only for a second.

"Captain, report to the bridge!" the intercom called. Archer leapt up and ran to a turbo lift.

The scene shifted to show Archer stepping out of the turbo lift onto the bridge.

"Report!" he demanded.

"There are four Reptilian warships approaching!" T'Pol watched herself scanning the monitors at her station.

"Evasive maneuvers! Hard to port!" Archer leaned over Mayweather's shoulder. The Enterprise rocked as shots from the Xindi ships found their mark.

"Fire phase cannons!" Archer ordered.

"Minimal damage to the Xindi ships!" reported Ensign Parker, who was at the tactical station.

Again Enterprise shook with weapons fire. Sparks were flying from panels.

"Aft shields are down to twenty percent!"

"Intruders have penetrated decks E and D!" said Hoshi, fear clearly in her voice.

"Photon torpedoes! Maximum yield!" Archer shouted.

"Shields on the enemy ships are at 80, 70, 100 and 100!" Ensign Parker reported.

Again Enterprise was shaken by direct hits.

"The starboard ncell is damaged!" Trip called up from Engineering.

"We have lost aft shields. The starboard shields are down to 40," T'Pol reported. "They are targeting the bridge!"

"Fire torpedoes!" Archer shouted again.

But before the command could be carried out, all four of the Xindi ships fired simultaneously on Enterprise. The bridge shook tremendously.

Hoshi flew backwards as her console erupted. She landed on her back with ugly black burns covering her face and hands. But no one moved to check on her. Everyone was working at their stations, desperately trying to counter the Xindi attack. T'Pol sensed that Hoshi was dead. Archer stared at her in shock.

Overhead there was another explosion. The ceiling of the bridge began to collapse.

"Get out of the way!" Archer shouted and started to dive towards Ensign Mayweather. But it was too late. A large part of the ceiling fell on him, crushing him to death. Archer stared at Mayweather's body in horror.

"Fire those damn torpedoes!" barked Archer.

"Weapons are off-line! I can't get them back!" panic was rising up in Ensign Parker's voice.

"We have lost all shields," the other T'Pol's voice was elevated with concern.

"T'Pol, transfer navigational controls to the weapons console!" Archer shouted.

He ran over to what had been Lieutenant Reed's station and roughly pushed Ensign Parker out of the seat.

"Trip, I'm going to need everything the impulse engines can give me!" Archer's fingers were flying over the console.

"Best you are going to get is one quarter impulse!" Trip's voice sounded ragged. Shouting and explosions could be heard in the background.

An alarm blared out. "All hands, this is Captain Archer, abandon ship. I repeat, get to the shuttle pods and abandon ship!"

Suddenly, the ship banked sharply to the left. The inertial dampeners were obviously failing.

Archer turned to Ensign Parker who staring in shock. "Get the hell out of here! Move it Ensign!" Archer barked.

Ensign Parker started, and then ran for the turbo lift. A tremendous explosion knocked him off his feet before he was halfway there.

"Captain! This is Engineering. Commander Tucker is dead!" an anonymous voice shook with fear.

Only a slight dip in Archer's head betrayed his reaction to the news. His jaw was set and his eyes were hard as he concentrated on his task.

T'Pol looked at the view screen. The image of Azati Prime filled the screen. The ship had turned towards the planet and was hurdling towards its surface. The Captain intended to ram Enterprise into the weapon!

Archer looked up from his console and scanned the room. It was deserted save for the other T'Pol.

"I told you to abandon ship! That's an order!"

The other T'Pol looked up from her console. Her face was set in a perfect Vulcan mask.

"No." Her voice was calm and quiet. She turned back to her console.

"T'Pol! This is no time for.." Archer was standing up and shouting. His voice shook with anger and concern, but the image on the view screen cut him off.

The ocean was boiling and churning. A few moments later the surface erupted in a tremendous geyser of water. The Xindi were launching the weapon! It was a horrific site to behold. Energy generators dotted its surface, glowing like the eyes of a giant insect searching for its prey. Enormous rings swept back and forth making its image appear to be continuously shifting. But size was its most daunting feature. It must have been a thousand times the diameter of the prototype. Like a small moon, it filled the entire view screen. And it was this size that was Archer's undoing. He had not counted on the Xindi launching at that very moment. He had not counted on the physical effects of such tremendous mass.

The shockwave hit them first. When such an enormous structure moves through the atmosphere so quickly, a great deal of air must be displaced. If Enterprise had been at full strength, it may have been able to plow through the wave. But in its weakened state, it was blown off course like a leaf in a hurricane. Then the wall of water over took them. The ship tumbled like a pebble on the beach. Over and over the ship turned. Archer flew through the air several times. Each time he landed heavily on some part of the bridge. The ceiling, a console, the wall.

Finally, mercifully, the ship stopped rolling. Archer was lying face down in a daze next to his command chair. He pushed himself up and gasped in pain as he found several broken ribs. He tried to pry his eyes open and found his left one blinded by blood streaming down the side of his face.

Scanning the room he saw T'Pol lying a few feet away. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he forced himself to crawl over to her. He gently turned her over and pulled her into his lap.

"T'Pol," he gasped.

Her eyes flickered open. An angry gash ran down the left side of her face. Blood was pooling in his lap, but he didn't notice.

"T'Pol," he pleaded.

Her lips worked soundless. Then finally he could make out a few words.

"..an honor to… and prosper…" Her eyes continue to stare at him after death. Archer hugged her to his chest as tears streamed down his face.

He looked up in time to see the weapon enter a vortex and wink out of sight.

The image of Archer cradling the other T'Pol on the devastated bridge melted out of view. It was replaced by a bridge several weeks later. The bodies were all gone. Some of the debris had been removed, but not all of it. It was obvious that very little repair work had been done.

Archer was the lone occupant. He sat in this command chair. His uniform was dirty and ripped in several places. His hair was ruffled and dusty, and he had several weeks of scraggly beard. He was slumped in his chair staring at the view screen. The expression on his face was that of a man who was utterly defeated. On the screen were the remains of the Earth. It was nothing but a field of debris. The silence of cold hard space filled the room.

Archer stood up and approached the screen, but stopped within arms length of it. He stared at the screen for several moments, taking in every detail. Pain and despair etched his face, but he had cried his last tear an eternity ago.

T'Pol stood on the bridge watching him. Her heart ached to see him in such a condition. She wanted to reach out and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

But suddenly, Archer threw back his head and shouted.

"No! Stop it!" He whirled around and seemed to be staring directly at T'Pol.

"Why are you doing this to me?" he shouted at her, his voice laced with pain. Then he bowed his head and hugged himself.

"I couldn't help it! I couldn't let this happen!" He fell to his knees and buried his head in his hands.

"I had to take that warp drive. I had to kill those Xindi," he pleaded in a whisper.

Suddenly he jumped up and threw his hands up in the air.

"Get away from me!" The whole scene shook and jumped. T'Pol felt a great force hit her full on. Pain seared through her mind. She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. She struggled to breath.

Archer picked up a piece of debris and was smashing the consoles. He was yelling "No!" over and over.

Each time he stuck something, T'Pol felt like he was hitting her. Pain assaulted her from every direction. Just as she felt like she could not endure any more, she lost consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for the kind reviews and words of encouragement. I hope you enjoy the next chapter._

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In the Starfleet medical facility, Phlox was scrambling. Alarms were going off over Archer and T'Pol's biobeds. Phlox quickly scanned the panels over their beds.

"Administer 3 ccs of cordialterazzene to the Ambassador!" he instructed the medic monitoring T'Pol.

Malcolm's eyes jumped back and forth between the two monitors. T'Pol's biosigns were bouncing erratically. But Archer's biosigns were dropping. He watched Archer's back tense as a convulsion gripped his body. Malcolm stepped forward but felt a hand restrain him. He glanced at the Healer. She shook her head at him.

"2 ccs of glycolaterine," Phlox called to the second medic who was monitoring Archer. "Increase pulmonary stimulation by thirty percent!" Phlox injected the hypospray as the medic tapped furiously on a nearby console. "Another twenty percent!" Finally, Archer's biosigns climbed back up.

Malcolm watched as Phlox took a deep breath and slowly blew it out. Phlox then went over to T'Pol and looked over her monitor. A single nod indicated he was satisfied. Throughout the whole incident the second Healer sitting between the two beds had not moved a muscle.

"What the hell is going on here!" Malcolm demanded. "Are they all right?"

Phlox looked over at him and nodded. "T'Pol's cordial wave activity suddenly jumped to near fatal levels. But they have returned to normal. Or nearly so. She is OK. As far as I can tell."

"As far as you can tell?" Malcolm said, his voice loud with concern. "We need to stop this!"

"Commander Reed," the Healer said gently. "Please be reassured. She is fine."

"How do you know?" Malcolm was skeptical.

"I am in contact with my sister. She assures me that they are both in satisfactory condition," the Healer answered quietly.

Malcolm looked over at Phlox. Phlox shrugged his shoulders and nodded. "I am reading elevated activity in her cortex. Also, her blood pressure and adrenal levels are elevated as well. Otherwise, her bio-signs do seem to be acceptable. She does not appear to be in any danger."

Malcolm relaxed a little. "What about the Admiral?" he asked, still not satisfied.

Phlox's expression turned grave. "I am boosting his cardio-pulmonary functions with the stimulator, but his condition is continuing to deteriorate."

"I thought you said that his condition had stabilized. Is this…this procedure doing more harm than good?" Malcolm was becoming concerned again.

"The Admiral is resisting," the Healer said in a quiet voice. "Though it is expected in cases like his, this is putting a strain on his physical being. However, we need to proceed. He will not recover if we stop now. That is for certain."

Malcolm looked again to Phlox for guidance. Phlox nodded miserably. "There is little more that I can do for him. It is unlikely that he will recover from this comatose state. I believe that these Healers are his only hope."

Malcolm licked his dry lips and looked anxiously at his friend. Archer's cheeks were shrunken and his face was an ashen gray. Malcolm slowly nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry," the voice of the Healer came to her.

"What happened?" T'Pol asked dispassionately. She sensed that she was not actually conscious. She seemed to be in a featureless place. There was only white light all around her and she felt like she was lying on a cloud.

"He attacked you. I should have anticipated it. But I underestimated the strength of his mind."

"Why did he attack me?"

"Because we were forcing him to face his fears. I was hoping that the familiarity of your presence would prevent such an attack. But again, I underestimated the extent of his… pain. However, it would appear that he did eventually recognize you. I believe that he did restrain himself at the last moment. I'm sorry. I should never have put you in harm's way."

"There is no need to apologize. How is the Admiral?"

T'Pol could sense worry all around her.

"You should rest for a while. Then we will continue."

T'Pol felt a sense of calm and relaxation sweep over her. She would not tell how long she lay there like that. Her thoughts wandered.

She thought about Jonathan Archer. He was a strange mixture of logic and passion. Strange, at least, to her Vulcan sensibilities.

She remembered a mission five years ago to a gas giant. She, Archer, Hoshi and Baker, an exobiologist, had taken a shuttle into the liquid methane layer. Here they had encountered a herd of jellyfish-like creatures floating in the currents.

To T'Pol they were routine. The Vulcan Science Academy had documented similar creatures on twelve other gas giants. But Archer had insisted on stopping to take detailed scans. She remembered wondering why he was so interested in beings which obviously possessed only a rudimentary intelligence. They probably were not even aware of the shuttle's presence.

"They appear to have a sulfur based composition!" called out Ensign Baker.

T'Pol barely listened as the three humans chattered happily about the findings on their scans. There was nothing here that particularly interested her.

"I think that I am picking up bioluminescence!" said Baker.

T'Pol looked out the window, "I don't see anything."

"Not on our visible spectrum. Lower, in the infrared and far infrared spectra!" Baker's excitement was growing.

"I think that I can adjust the window filters to pick it up. Hold on," said Archer.

"Wow! Look at that!" exclaimed Hoshi.

Colors were blinking on and off all over the bodies of the creatures.

"Fascinating," T'Pol found herself commenting.

"You have never seen this before?" asked Archer.

"I don't recall reading of this phenomenon," replied T'Pol.

"You mean we may have discovered something that is not in the Vulcan database?" asked Archer. He had a smug look on his face, which if T'Pol allowed herself, would have found irritating.

"I think…I think I am detecting patterns!" Hoshi called out. "I think they are communicating!"

"Can you understand any of it?" asked Archer.

"No… I don't have enough…it's very foreign…it's not like a humanoid language…it's more like…analogous to whales or dolphins!" said Hoshi. She could barely contain her excitement.

"Isn't this great?! Who would have thought?!" Archer was talking more to himself than anyone in particular. In his excitement, he unconsciously grabbed T'Pol's forearm and pointed out the window as he spoke.

T'Pol, unused to physical contact, was taken aback. She could feel his excitement radiate up her arm. She looked back and forth from his face to the creatures. She watched the childlike glee dance in his eyes as he took in every detail.

"Look at that!" he said, hardly even aware that he was addressing her.

T'Pol looked out the window again. The creatures were floating by in slow motion, their long tentacles pulsing in slow waves as they propelled themselves through the liquid. Their great bodies were so translucent as to be barely visible, but their outline was clearly delineated by large veins radiating out from a central core. The veins sparkled and twinkled with bioluminescence. The window filter assigned colors to the various wavelengths so that creatures appeared to glow like bubbles of rainbow.

T'Pol glanced back at Archer. He had fallen silent, completely enthralled by the scene outside the shuttlepod. But, T'Pol was enthralled by Archer. To T'Pol this had been a mundane mission. But through his eyes, she came to appreciate the wonder and majesty of these graceful creatures. T'Pol looked back out the window, and for several long moments, simply appreciated the beauty of the scene. And appreciated Archer's company.

"Are you ready?" the Healer broke into her thoughts.

As she nodded her readiness, the light faded away to reveal one of the hallways on C-deck of Enterprise. She was walking down the hall and Archer was walking beside her. The sudden shift in the scene momentarily disoriented her, and she stumbled. Archer turned to her, concerned. But she quickly caught herself and he did not comment. T'Pol quickly glanced around. His uniform, her uniform, the coloration of the hallway, again they were in the Expanse.

Archer was talking rapidly. His voice was subdued, but she could hear the tension in it. And the fear.

"… if this doesn't work. I know I can depend on you…." What was he talking about? "You need to find another way.." the conversation sounded familiar. "You and Trip need to work together…"

The weapon! He was talking about the weapon. She remembered now. They are at Azati Prime. He was getting ready to fly a photon torpedo into the Xindi weapon.

She heard them argue about the information Daniels had given them on the motives of the Sphere Builders. She remembered her anger and frustration. Why was Archer being so stubborn? Why was he insisting on flying the mission himself? Lieutenant Reed or Ensign Mayweather was a much more logical choice! She remembered her feelings of fear and pain.

"I don't want you to die!"

He stopped and turned to face her, surprised by her outburst. "It's… it's not necessary," she said, embarrassed.

"I wish that were true. But it's not," he said gently.

Touched by her concern, he tried to reassure her with a smile. Suddenly he regretted the thought of leaving her. Also embarrassed by the surge of emotion, his eyes dropped to floor and he quickly resumed his way down the hallway.

T'Pol's mind reeled. The scene became hazy.

"You are too close. Pull away," the voice of the Healer drifted to her.

The scene came back into focus. She saw herself on the bridge. They were launching the Xindi scout ship with Archer aboard. She heard Reed count down the distance until the scout ship slipped behind the Xindi security net. T'Pol remembered the sickening feeling in her stomach as she watched the ship disappear with Archer inside. She remembered the uncontrollable burst of emotion, intense grief and pain, when she thought that he was dead. But, she also remembered something that she had not thought about for a long time.

She remembered the beginnings of the awareness that she felt more than friendship for Archer. At the time, she had been so overwhelmed by the flood of emotions, that she could not understand what these ones were. But later on, when she had a quiet moment to reflect on the events, she realized there was something more. It was different than what she felt for Trip. This was deeper.

"I'm reading an explosion. Reed's voice called out. "And another one!"

"There is a massive explosion on the surface of the planet! A shock wave is headed our way!" shouted Trip.

"Take us to warp! Warp Two!" T'Pol watched herself shout. "Shields up!"

Ensign Mayweather's fingers were already flying around his consol. The ship jumped to warp. The shockwave was right behind them and gaining rapidly.

"Brace for impact!" Trip's voice rang out just as the wave hit them. The ship jumped and rocked. Sparks flew out of panels. Coolant sprayed into the middle of the room. Then the wave passed.

"We have damage on A and B decks. Shields are down to thirty percent…" called out Reed.

"There are massive geological disturbances on the planet!" interrupted Hoshi. "It looks like… the planet is tearing itself apart!"

"On screen!" T'Pol watched herself shout.

The planet winked into view. Massive fissures, bright red with magma, could be seen forming on the surface. As they all watched, the surface of the plant quivered and then abruptly separated into millions of fierily sections.

The bridge was dead silent for several long moments as the crew tried to comprehend what just happened. Everyone was stunned. Their faces registered neither joy nor pain. It all happened so quickly, not even T'Pol could process the meaning of the events.

"It's gone," Hoshi said in a quiet voice.

This broke the trance. Everyone stirred, and then began to work at their stations.

"The damage to the ship is minor," Trip said mechanically. "There are cracks in the hull on E Deck, minor damage to the port nacelle, and loss of power in parts of A Deck."

"Preliminary sensor data seems to indicate that when the weapon exploded, it destabilized the planet's outer crust," reported Reed. His voice shook slightly. "This caused massive geological failures which resulted in the complete destruction of the planet." His voice trailed off.

"He did it." Trip turned to T'Pol. Their eyes met.

"Captain Archer destroyed the weapon. Earth is safe."

There was no triumph or even relief in his voice. Only the unspoken words, "And he is dead," hung in the air between them.

"What is going on?" thought T'Pol. "This is not how it happened!"

Suddenly the scene shifted. T'Pol watched as she and Trip destroyed Sphere 49 and the whole network of Spheres. But the scene was different than she remembered. Enterprise was in tact. It had not been attacked. The fourteen crewmen had not been killed.

Then the scene shifted again. She saw herself standing on the podium on Earth. The one that Archer had stood on as all of Earth welcomed the crew of Enterprise. But, this time it was Commander Tucker standing before the crowds of cheering people.

"…the best crew in the universe… would be proud… Captain Archer … the ultimate sacrifice…"

Snatches of the speech reached her, but T'Pol's mind could not accept the scene. No! Captain Archer did not die on Azati Prime! Again the scene melted to leave nothing but a white light.

"What is the meaning of this?" she called out to the Healer.

"It is all right. Let me help you calm yourself," the Healer's voice floated in.

T'Pol concentrated on pushing down her fears. She could feel the Healer helping her.

"This is good. He is confronting the things which are troubling him," said the Healer. "Such a shame to have seen so much pain. Such a heavy burden to have to carry," she said almost to herself.

"We cannot continue. This is not working." Malcolm's voice cut in.

"No!"

Dr. Phlox and Malcolm were taken aback by the display of emotion. T'Pol ignored them. She sat up. Immediately her head began to swim. She gripped the Healer's arm intently.

"No! We must go on!"

"No!" Malcolm almost shouted. "We can't risk you as well!" He looked to Phlox for support. Phlox looked miserable. He looked at the monitor over Archer's bed and then looked at the Healer.

"What is the point of loosing both of you?" Malcolm demanded.

"I am unharmed," T'Pol said. "Now the Healer knows what to expect. She can protect me. If we don't go on, he will die." T'Pol looked to the Healer for confirmation.

The Healer was silent, but she nodded once.

"Doctor," T'Pol turned to Phlox.

"The Admiral's vital signs are deteriorating. If we are going to do anything, we need to do it swiftly." He checked his consoles again. "T'Pol's frontal cortex is hyper-stimulated, but she is not in any danger. At the moment."

"Commander Reed. I want to do this. We cannot let him die." Though her face was expressionless, her eyes pleaded with him. Malcolm threw up his hands in frustration.

"I suggest you rest for a few minutes before we begin again," said the Healer.

T'Pol lay back in the bio bed. She closed her eyes and concentrated on slowing her breathing. As she did so, her mind drifted back over the events of the last two days.

There was a conference on Earth. T'Pol had actually been anxious to attend. Not because of the conference, but because coincidentally, Archer, Phlox and Reed were going to be in the area at the same time. It has been over two years since the decommissioning of Enterprise and this was the first opportunity she had had to interact with so many of her former crewmen at one time.

But then things had gone terribly wrong. When Admiral Archer failed to meet the three of them for dinner, it was assumed that he had been detained by an urgent matter. However, when he did not attend the conference the next day, T'Pol sensed something was not right. Then there was the call in the middle of the night.

"Found in a dark alley… we hadn't heard from him…injured….suppose to have breakfast,…very serious condition…" T'Pol could barely understand Archer's Aid as he rambled on.

When she reached the Starfleet medical facility, the news was worst. Before he even spoke, the look on Phlox's face caused her stomach to sink. Archer had suffered a severe neurological trauma that Dr. Phlox did not know how to treat.

"The only thing keeping him alive is the cardio-pulmonary stimulator….persistent vegetative state….not responding to any treatments…"

T'Pol heard the words, but her brain refused to digest them. What was Dr. Phlox saying to her? Was he suggesting that Archer was essentially….?

But then, two women had appeared. They were very short and plump. They had long flowing grey hair, wide motherly grins, and soft, rustling robes. But, they were also telepathic, and they claimed to be healers.

"I am ready. Please proceed," said T'Pol

"Open your eyes," the voice of the Healer floated to her from the air.

_TBC_


	3. Chapter 3

T'Pol was standing in a field on Earth. There were trees and grass and flowers. The sun was shining down from a blue sky that was dotted with white, fluffy clouds. Birds sang and butterflies fluttered. A sense of happiness and beauty surrounded T'Pol.

The sound of children's laughter made her turn around. She saw two children playing in the grass with a man. T'Pol looked around her again. She realized she was in a yard. There was a swing set off to the left, and to the right was a large, brick house. The man playing with the children was Jonathan Archer.

He was chasing a seven-year old boy. "Ha! Gottcha!" Archer caught the boy in a hug and proceeded to tickle him. The boy collapsed in a fit of giggles. Porthos barked and jumped around the pair, wanting to join in the fun.

"No! No! Daddy. You cheated!" The boy had wavy blond hair and his father's high cheekbones.

A little girl of three ran up and grabbed Archer by the leg. "Me too, Daddy! Me too!" Archer turned and gave the girl a big bear hug and covered her face in kisses. Archer's eyes looked back at him from the girl's smiling face.

"No! No! Daddy." The little girl tried to push him away even though she was laughing. "Chase, Daddy! Chase."

"Dog pile!" the little boy cried. Archer fell to the ground and the two children and the dog jumped on top of him.

As T'Pol took in the scene, she smiled inwardly to herself. She had not seen Archer this relaxed and happy for what seemed like a long, long time. "What is this?" she thought as she watched the three get up and run to the swing set.

"Grandpa! Grandpa! Watch me!"

T'Pol looked to her left. Seated on lawn chairs were an elderly man and woman. She watched as the man stood up to answer the children's call.

"Wow! Look how high you are going. You're like a spaceship captain," the elderly man teased the boy.

The man's face was vaguely familiar. T'Pol searched her memory. Henry Archer! She had seen a few pictures of him. They were from documentaries of his work on the Warp 5 engine. The man before her was an elderly version. And yes, the woman next to him was Archer's mother. They both looked strong and vital.

"Grandma! Me thirsty!" the little girl informed her.

"Well, come here, Honey, and have some more of your juice", the older women offered a children's cup to her.

"Hey, hey, the party animals are here!" T'Pol turned to see Trip come striding around the house. T'Pol started. Trip has been dead for two years now. He had a huge grin on his face. In one arm was a four year old girl, and in the other hand he was holding a cooler.

"Hi everyone!" a blond haired woman was right behind Trip. She was tall and slim and very pretty. In her hands was a large plate of food and beside her walked a six year old girl. Both of Trip's children were blond, and the younger one had dainty curls like her mother.

"Uncle Trip!" Archer's children jumped up and ran to Trip. Porthos barked and excitedly ran between the children and Trip. Trip bent down to give both of the children a hug. He gave Porthos a affectionate scratch behind the ears. Then he picked up Archer's daughter and swung her up in the air.

"How's my girlfriend?" he teased. She giggled and nuzzled his shoulder as he settled her on his hip. "And how is the Captain of the Enterprise?" he addressed Archer's son.

"All systems go!" answered the boy. He snapped to attention and saluted Trip which made Trip laughed with delight.

Meanwhile Archer had walked up to the group. He gave the woman a friendly hug. "Hello, Lizzie." He poked a finger in the ribs of the older girl, and she dodged behind her mother. At the same time he scooped up Trip's youngest. "Are you going to give your Uncle Jon a kiss?" he teased the little girl. She smiled at him from under her eyebrows, and shook her head. "What?" Archer had an exaggerated look of hurt on his face. Then he quickly pecked her on the cheek, making her squeal with delight. With his free hand he slapped Trip on the back.

"Glad you guys could make it. It's a beautiful day!" Archer said.

"Admiral Forrest wanted me to work today. But I knew Emily would kill me." Trip regarded his wife with a broad grin.

"I want to swing, Daddy!" Trip's youngest was pulling on his arm.

"Yeah! Uncle Trip is going to push me!" Archer's son yelled.

"Me first!" yelled Archer's daughter.

"No, me first!" yelled Archer's son.

"OK. OK. No fighting!" Trip let himself be dragged to the swing set. All four children ran ahead of him.

"Here, let me take that plate up to the house." Archer took the plate and walked up to the house.

T'Pol followed him. She could see why this was a more appealing reality. His father and his best friend both alive and well. A loving family in an idyllic setting. Is this what he wanted in his life? His current Starfleet life certainly seemed cold and lonely in comparison. A life full of danger and pain.

As they entered the house, T'Pol could see a woman sitting in a rocking chair with her back to the door. The woman was wearing a silky shirt that was reddish brown in color. The color of the shirt set off her waist length auburn hair that was neatly drawn into a pony tail. The top of a baby bottle could be seen just past her shoulder.

"They're…" Archer caught himself as he saw the woman feeding the baby. He quietly put the tray on the kitchen counter and crossed the room to stand in front of the woman.

"Is he done?" Archer whispered.

The woman handed the baby to Archer. Archer gently cradled the baby in his arms and nuzzled the child's cheek. Archer took the baby into the next room. T'Pol could hear him quietly humming to the sleeping baby. He gently kissed the baby on the forehead and put it in the crib with exaggerated care. T'Pol marveled at such tenderness. This was an aspect of Archer that she always admired. On the one hand, he could face down a Klingon tribunal, and yet, on the other hand, he could be so warm and caring.

As they returned to the kitchen, Archer's wife stood up from the chair and turned to face them. T'Pol was shocked. It was her!

She heard her own voice ask if the baby was asleep. She watched as Archer and the other T'Pol met in the kitchen. Archer embraced her warmly, and gently kissed her on the forehead. Laughing, Archer scooped her up and placed her on the counter and cupped her face in his hands.

"You look so beautiful!" Archer said happily.

The other T'Pol regarded Archer with the usual Vulcan mask. "Jonathan, please. I need to finish preparing the food." However, the slight upturn in her lips betrayed that she was pleased.

Archer put his hands on the counter on either side of his wife. "No. I'm never going to let you go," Archer smiled at her. "We are going to stay like this forever."

"Jonathan. You are being illogical," his wife scolded him.

Laughing, Archer moved aside so that she could jump off the counter.

T'Pol's mind was reeling. What was the meaning of this? The scene melted away. T'Pol was now surrounded by light.

"This is unexpected?" the Healer walked up to T'Pol. T'Pol was still stunned. She could only nod. The Healer shook her head. "I apologize. This is my fault. Sometimes I forget that in species that are not telepathic, you do not know each other's thoughts. I should have been more careful. But we must go on. Time is growing short. I can feel Archer growing weaker."

"What do we do?" asked T'Pol.

"You need to make contact," answered the Healer.

"But, I don't know how," said T'Pol.

"I will guide you," said the Healer.

The light faded to darkness. It took a moment for T'Pol's eyes to adjust. She was standing in Archer's bedroom. The other T'Pol was asleep curled up in Archer's arms. Archer was awake staring at the ceiling, gently stroking the other T'Pol's hair.

He carefully pulled his arm out from under his wife and quietly got out of bed. The other T'Pol rolled over on her side, still asleep. T'Pol could see Archer's lean, muscular form silhouetted against the moonlit window. She watched him walk into the kitchen.

"Water, cold," he quietly ordered the beverage dispenser.

"Speak to him," the Healer told her.

"Admiral," T'Pol said tentatively.

"Louder," the Healer urged.

"Admiral!" T'Pol said firmly.

Archer looked up startled. T'Pol's form materialized in the darkness. Archer looked confused. A feeling of fear and pain crept into the room.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Archer asked fearfully.

"Admiral, it's me T'Pol," T'Pol said gently.

"T'Pol?" Archer was clearly confused. "I don't understand. Did I wake you up?"

"Admiral, you need to come with me," T'Pol continued. The feeling of fear and pain grew stronger. T'Pol found herself concentrating to block it out.

"The children. I need to check on the children," Archer said distracted.

"Admiral, Captain, listen to me," T'Pol said more urgently. She switched to the title that would be more meaningful to him.

"Why are you calling me that?" Archer was becoming agitated. "You haven't called me that in years."

"Captain, this is not real. This is a dream," T'Pol said.

"No! No it's not!" Panic was rising in Archer's voice.

The fear was now a loud roar in T'Pol's ears. "Captain…Please, listen to me."

Fear and anger were clear in Archer's face. He backed away from T'Pol, holding up his hands in an attempt to push her words away.

"No! Get away from me!" Archer said loudly.

"Captain!" shouted T'Pol over the fear pounding in around her.

"No!" Archer shouted and waved his arms in a wide arc. An invisible wave of force swept T'Pol off her feet and hurled her across the room. As she flew through the air, the scene around her dissolved to a white light. Even though she was flat on her back, the landing was surprising light.

"He is resisting us. His fear and pain are clouding his vision. He cannot see you clearly."

"Rest for a short while, and then we will continue."

Again, T'Pol felt a sense of calm descend upon her. This latest sequence was the strangest of all. What did it mean? Was this something that Archer truly wanted? Or was it all a representation of an abstract thought?

As her relationship with Trip had quietly evolved into a close friendship, she found her friendship with Archer had slowly deepened. His experience with the Syrrannites sparked an interest in Vulcan culture and history. They had spent many after shift hours discussing the finer points of the Kir'Shara.

She allowed herself a hint of amusement as she remembered his first mangled attempts to learn the Vulcan language. On one occasion, in an attempt to carry on a conversation, he had accused her of looking like an "honorable broth of chairs".

But she also remembered, with a tiny sense of pride, the raised eyebrows and exchanged looks, when he issued, with barely an accent, a long and complex ceremonial greeting to a high ranking Vulcan official.

"We must proceed. His physical being is slipping away," said the Healer quietly, but urgently.

T'Pol could feel the truth in her words. All around her was Archer's essence. But she could sense that it was waning.

_TBC_


	4. Chapter 4

_Thank you for the kind reviews and words of encouragement. I'm glad you enjoyed the previous dream sequence. This was actually the first scene that I wrote. The story evolved around it._

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They were standing at the edge of a cliff. Angry black clouds swirled around their feet. Above them, massive bolts of lighting tried to rip holes in the sky, and the accompanying thunder was so loud it seemed to make the ground shake. The wind pulled at her clothing, threatening to push her off the edge into the endless abyss below.

"Admiral! Captain!" she shouted to make herself heard above the hollowing of the wind.

Archer was staring up into the sky. His arms hung loosely by his sides and his expression was calm. He was searching for something in the clouds, and seemed oblivious to the tumultuous conditions surrounding them.

"Captain!" she called again, as she fought to keep her balance in the wind.

"Listen," though he whispered the word, she could hear it clearly.

T'Pol strained her ears, but all she heard was the roar of the wind.

"I don't understand," she shouted, "I don't hear anything."

"Listen," he repeated. "Do you hear it? It's them. They are calling for me."

T'Pol searched the wind again. This time the roar seemed to change. The pitch and timber seemed to be shifting. Now she could pick out separate and distinct sounds. They sounded like the moans and screams of dying people.

"There," Archer pointed up into the sky, "do you see them?" Still his voice was calm and quiet.

T'Pol looked up to see faces in the clouds. They shifted in and out of view as the clouds rolled and boiled in the wind. Human, Vulcan, Xindi and several other species. But they were grotesquely distorted. Their eyes were empty sockets of black, and dark shadows looked liked wounds all over their faces. The moans of the wind seem to issue from their gaping mouths.

There were descriptions of an Underworld in ancient Vulcan religious writings. But now, they were regarded as stories; studied only for their cultural and literary value. The Vulcan Science Directorate had determined that there is no logical evidence of an afterlife. But, standing in the middle of this horrific scene, T'Pol felt like she was in such a place. She fought hard to suppress her fear.

"Those are the ones," continued Archer, pointing at the clouds. T'Pol tore her eyes away from the sky and concentrated instead on Archer.

"They were the ones on the moon at Azati Prime. The ones on the base that I destroyed." He paused and seemed to be listening for a few moments. "But if you listen closely, you can tell that those are not the screams of the soldiers. Those are the screams of their children."

Archer threw his head back, close his eyes and opened his arms wide as if the embrace the wind. T'Pol could see the pain etched on his face.

"Their children!" He shouted as he whirled around to face her.

The suddenness of the movement and the intensity of his pain caught her off guard. She started and took one step back.

Archer stared at her for a long moment. Then he hugged himself and dropped his head to his chest.

"See, you can't even stand to be near me," he said quietly.

T'Pol stared at him in confusion. What was he talking about?

"You Vulcans were right. All those things I did in the Expanse. I must have confirmed everything you have been thinking all along. We are just a rash, primitive species that can't control its violent emotions. We thought that we had come so far. We were so proud of our accomplishments. But, at the slightest provocation, we reverted right back to our baser instincts. Piracy, torture, murder!" His voice was loud and full of self-contempt.

He paused again, then, "I know you must really hate me," he said quietly, still not looking at her. He took two steps forward. Now he was standing at the very edge of the cliff.

"Jonathan!" T'Pol impulsively reached out and grabbed his forearm. An electric jolt shot up her arm. His emotions hit her like a stun grenade. Pain, self-contempt, shame. She tried to shield herself, but the emotions washed over her. They eroded her self-control. Emotions started to rise in her. Archer did not deserve to feel this way! He had accomplished a great thing! She fought through the surface. Here it was. The morality, the integrity, the compassion, the warmth. He knew the name of every crew member. A tidbit about each of their families. Here was the real Archer. The man that she admired. The man she considered a friend.

"No!" she said.

He turned to her, the flashes of lightening reflecting in his piecing green eyes. Archer stared at her for several long moments. Feelings continued to well up in her. Sympathy, admiration, friendship, warmth. She slid her hand down his arm and gently took his hand in hers.

As she did so, she sensed a change. She could see his expression soften, and she could feel the atmosphere around them shift. The wind remained strong, but it no longer threatened to push them off the cliff, and though the clouds remained dark, they lifted high into the sky. There was still the rumble of thunder, but it was far in the distance.

"The first day I met you, I immediately disliked you. I thought you were irrational and reckless. I was convinced that your impulsiveness would result in a disastrous end to your mission." T'Pol's voice was quiet but urgent.

Archer watched her with interest.

"And I still feel that way." She could feel him stiffen at her last statement. But she gripped his hand more tightly to prevent him from pulling away.

"Have you ever wondered why I decided to remain on board Enterprise when you went into the Expanse?"

She could see that he was watching her intently.

"It was for the very same reasons that I disliked you on that first day. I still find many of your actions illogical and rash. But, I also see that they are motivated by compassion and integrity. Despite repeated council against interference with alien cultures, you cannot resist your irrational desire to "help".

"And yes, there are many that would condemn your actions in the Expanse. There were many deeds that were clearly immoral."

Archer's eyes narrowed with the painful truth of her words.

"However, it is the aftermath that I look to. A different man might have attempted to deny or rationalize his actions. A different man might have become bitter and left Starfleet. But you. You have managed to persuade species which have been at war for hundreds of years sit at the same dinner table."

"No", she said quietly, "I don't hate you."

T'Pol watched as some of the pain and shame lifted from Archer's face. She became aware for the first time that they were no longer standing on a cliff. They were now standing in a featureless place, bathed in a white light that seemed to be coming from all directions.

She watched as Archer considered her words. His eyes searched her face for understanding. But then they became clouded and he dropped his gaze.

"It… it is not that easy," he said.

T'Pol slowly brought his hand up to her cheek and leaned into it.

"That is why I am here," she said quietly, "to help you."

Archer looked up and gratitude shown in his eyes. As he did so, the light around them became brighter and brighter until T'Pol could no longer see anything. As the intensity of the light grew, T'Pol's ability to shield herself from Archer's emotions grew weaker. Shame, self-contempt, pain, loneliness assaulted her from all directions. She threw up her arms in an attempt to ward them off. Her head was spinning and her stomach was churning. Just as she could feel herself loosing consciousness, she felt other emotions washing over her. Warmth, affection… something stronger?

"How can I loose consciousness when I am not conscious?" she thought to herself.

Slowly she became aware of her surroundings. She appeared to be in her bed back on Vulcan. It was her room as a child. She was wrapped in her favorite quilt. The one that her Father's Mother had made for her. She felt warm and safe.

"Where am I?"

"You are resting."

"Where is the Admiral?"

"He is also resting."

"Is the Admiral going to recover?"

"Yes. Thanks to you."

T'Pol allowed herself the luxury of relief to wash over her. She did not have the strength to suppress it. She nestled deeper into her bed and closed her eyes for a few moments.

"Who are you?" asked T'Pol.

"We call ourselves Evanlites. Normally, it is not our way to engage non-telepathic species. We find that our telepathic ability creates cultural differences which are difficult to surmount."

"But, when one of our own decided to attack your Admiral, we felt an obligation to undo the damage. Partique attempted to take over mind the mind of your Admiral. We don't know why. He may have been trying and to force Archer to do something to disrupt the conference. He believed that since Archer lacked telepathic abilities, he would not be able to resist. But, as we know, Partique was wrong. However, during the attack Partique stripped away Archer's defenses. So, even though Partique ultimately failed, he left Archer vulnerable to his own inner torment. It was my job to help Archer rebuild these defenses."

"The images that I saw…"

"Yes?"

"What are their…. meaning?"

There was a pause as if the Healer was considering how to answer.

"Since I have had little experience with Humans, it is difficult for me to say what the true meaning is. They are the manifestation of his mind's attempt to deal with the various stresses and injuries he has suffered. For species that are not telepathic, these images are akin to ….. dreams. And like dreams, he will not remember them when he wakes up. He will remember only snatches and impressions."

T'Pol thought about the scenes on Enterprise in the Expanse. They did seem to be manifestations of Archer's fears. Some were the way he would rather the events have unfolded. Then she remembered the setting at his house. His father, his children, his …..

"So, you are saying that they are not representative of his true thoughts?"

The Healer paused again.

"I am saying, that you will have to ask him yourself when he wakes up."

T'Pol sat beside Archer's biobed. Her back was perfectly straight and her body was absolutely still. Though her eyes were open, she was in a mild meditative state. This state allowed her to sit beside his bed for several hours, waiting for him to wake up.

A soft moan caused her to stir. It took a few moments to rouse herself. Meanwhile, she watched as Archer moved his head and frowned. Slowly his eyes opened to a slit. Though the lights were dimmed he squinted and looked around in confusion.

"Admiral," T'Pol said quietly, "You are at Starfleet Medical. You are being cared for."

Archer blinked in her direction, trying to focus.

"T… T'Pol..?" It was barely a whisper.

"Yes. I am here." T'Pol fought hard to push down her feelings of relief.

"W.. What?"

"You were attacked. But you are recovering now."

Archer closed his eyes and seemed to be digesting her words. T'Pol noticed that he was very pale and that his cheeks were sunken. He had always appeared so confident and strong, almost indestructible. Now, seeing him so weak and vulnerable, made her heart ache. Unconsciously, she reached out and lightly took his hand. The touch seemed to reassure him.

"I … I remember… some things."

T'Pol silently watched the emotions play across his face as the events slowly came back to him.

"There was … someone else … here?" he asked as he struggled to remember.

"Yes. She is called a Healer. She helped you recover."

"But, … you … were also there?"

"Yes. It would be better if you rest for now. I can tell you more, later."

Archer closed his eyes. The effort of speaking seemed to tire him.

Giving Archer a few moments to rest, T'Pol did not speak any further. There were occasions, while on Enterprise, that T'Pol had considered a deeper relationship with Archer. But the chain of command always stood in the way. Starfleet would never condone a relationship with a subordinate. But now, after the decommissioning of Enterprise, he was no longer her Commanding Officer.

"Admiral… Jonathan…There is a matter that I would like to speak to you about…"

Archer looked at her, surprised that she had used his first name.

T'Pol's doubts caused her to pause. What if she had miss-interrupted his feelings?

"I…I want to ask you…"

Suddenly his eyes grew wide.

"Are you in pain? I will get Doctor Phlox." She started to get up.

"No!" His hand tightened around hers.

T'Pol sat back down.

"I could have hurt you."

"But you did not."

"The point is that I could have. Don't do that again. _Ever!"_

"You would have done no less for me."

"That's an order."

"Admiral, I remind you that I am no longer under your command."

Archer looked at her sharply; ready to counter her statement, but her expression finally registered. After all these years, it was the closest thing to a twinkle in her eye. He smiled, lay back deeper into the pillow and closed his eyes. He had forgotten that arguing with T'Pol was tiring even when he was in the best of health.

She marveled that after surviving such traumatic experience, he was more concerned about her than himself. She looked down at his hand which she was still holding. Letting her shields down a little, she allowed his warm, compassionate nature to radiate up her arm. These qualities were what inspired her to not only stay on after that first mission, but to follow him into the expanse, and then to continue to serve with him for so many years.

She realized that she missed him. She missed his strong, intelligent mind. She even missed his irrational desire "to help", and his childish delight in every new discovery. But most of all, she missed his friendship. She made up her mind.

"Do you remember what happened?"

"Some," Archer answered, frowning, trying to remember more. "I was back in the Expanse…we tried to attack the weapon… you and Trip…destroyed the spheres…..there was a house…and children…." Archer abruptly stopped, glanced at T'Pol, and then quickly looked away.

"Just bits and pieces," he said sheepishly.

"Well, when you have recovered some more, we can discuss the matter further. I believe that we have much to discuss," said T'Pol. Her hand tentatively came up and she lightly caressed his cheek with her finger tips.

Archer turned to look at T'Pol. He searched her face for several long moments. Then he leaned into her hand and said, "I'd like that."

The End.

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_As usual, this is where I like to leave it. I will let you more talented writers write the follow thru. _

_Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it half as much as I enjoy your stories. Peace and happiness in this Holiday Season._


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